Race and the printed language: Roman and Gothic letterforms in the making of the ‘Aryan race’

This article examines the use of roman and gothic letterforms in Nazi propaganda to express racial-national distinctions between ‘Aryans’ and ‘non-Aryans’, and Jews in particular. The link between race and language was central in the theory of the ‘Aryan’ race, whose supposed primary characteristic was the possession of the body of the ancient Greek athlete. The article examines the birth and evolution of the roman and gothic typefaces, following Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15th century, and assesses how Nazi publications harked back to German and European typographic traditions to make the printed word a vehicle of German ‘Aryan’ identity and divide readers. Theoretically, the article builds on Benedict Anderson’s concept of ‘print-language’ by making a distinction between ‘print-language’ and ‘printed language’. It draws attention to the materiality and form of the printed language, as bearers of meaning with their own power to divide or unite communities and create nations.